A new generation of mobile processors and faster mobile networks combined to put the power of a PC onto the smartphone in out pocket.
Few days ago I run into an interesting article from Information Week, dated in 2008. It deals with expectations about smartphones capability in 2010. A number of technologies that have been in development for years jumped from lab to factory and straight into the next generation of mobile devices.
Authors exposed three main trends that caused a fundamental change in the role and nature of smartphones: broadband everywhere, digitization of all content and pocket computing power. These trends have turned cell phones into smartphones and are driving the evolution of smartphones into devices that are always connected, that have access to all our digital content as well as to the Web, and to provide a wider array set of personal services. I choose few predictions from this article; let see how accurate they were.
Few days ago I run into an interesting article from Information Week, dated in 2008. It deals with expectations about smartphones capability in 2010. A number of technologies that have been in development for years jumped from lab to factory and straight into the next generation of mobile devices.
Authors exposed three main trends that caused a fundamental change in the role and nature of smartphones: broadband everywhere, digitization of all content and pocket computing power. These trends have turned cell phones into smartphones and are driving the evolution of smartphones into devices that are always connected, that have access to all our digital content as well as to the Web, and to provide a wider array set of personal services. I choose few predictions from this article; let see how accurate they were.
“Smartphones will be closer to becoming the single most important devices we own.” Smartphones offer a huge number of different functions, which allow us to do more things in more places but in my opinion, mobile devices will be, at least in next few years, important extensions of our PCs and other devices, but will not become a single device we own.
“The biggest opportunities and changes will come with broadband Internet connectivity that is available no matter where you are”. It is true that broadband connectivity became widespread, but in my opinion, authors forgot about digital divide, contributing to fewer options for some parts of the world. Broadband is not everywhere and will not be in the near future.
"The complete Internet experience that you have on your PC will be available in the mobile space”. Web 2.0 tools, social networking and GPS-based location and navigation on mobile devices presented many new opportunities for users, so this prediction is quite accurate. Many web sites and applications are already adjusted for use on mobile devices and this adaptation is becoming more and more widespread. Laptops, by comparison, may be mobile, but you do not use them when you walk down the street or drive to the same extent that you can use a mobile phones.
“A coming shift in how smartphones fit into our digital lives will be much less about getting the phone to do what other portable devices do today (camera, music player, gaming, etc.) and more about connecting you to your Web-ecosystem of apps, services, and content.”
“In terms of applications, anything that has to do with entertainment, music, and video is going to be big. Increases in memory capacity will play a large role in this. Either way, storage capacity is going to increase dramatically. "Flexibility for large-capacity cards, allows you to move content easier".
“In terms of applications, anything that has to do with entertainment, music, and video is going to be big. Increases in memory capacity will play a large role in this. Either way, storage capacity is going to increase dramatically. "Flexibility for large-capacity cards, allows you to move content easier".
All these predictions came true, smartphones in 2010 really allow us to access to most of digital content as well as to the Web and provide a wider set of personal services. Some of mentioned things were already in use before 2010, but not in extent we can see it today. Options for accessing to our content and ability to display and transfer large amounts of it easily will let people do more with these devices. Smartphones can free us from our PCs to a great extent and enrich our experience with mobile devices.
Because we are using our smartphones in such a diverse way there are many other concerns about these devices. In my opinion one of the most important is their security and more about this topic in following posts.
Smartphones are great, but the main problem I see here is that there is still not enough memory capacity plus the broadband internet connectivity is not available anywhere. Sure smarphones are great technology but cannot wholly replace the laptops and personal computers. They are just one kind of substitute for the moment where laptops cannot be used - on the street, car in the classroom - because smartphones are handy and can offer everything that our computer does. The great thing is that they are commpatible with other devices and because they are portable and fit the pocket we can use them whenever we want to, and wherever the signal or electricity is. I have to mention that the battery duration still needs to be improved.
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